Two years after opening of Palomar, an outpost of one of Israel's trendiest restaurants, DJ Layo Paskin and his restaurant-manager sister Zoe have opened a second branch, The Barbary, tucked away in Neal's Yard, north of Covent Garden, London.
"It'll make you want to quit your job, pack your bags, and run away into the sunset." – Time Out
With only 24 covers and no reservations, the "vibe is less restaurant and more tavern", says James Tennent in the International Business Times. Where Palomar is "intentionally progressive, looking to push the boundaries of 'Israeli' food, the Barbary looks to the past", says Time Out.
Taking inspiration from the cuisine of the Barbary coast, which stretches from Morocco to Egypt, head chef Eyal Jagermann is "completely committed to every dish he's turning out", says David Sexton in the London Evening Standard. And all at a "modest" price.
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"It's actually exciting to be in a restaurant evolving like this, with such passion behind it." - Sexton.
The kitchen's "magpie approach, drawing on age-old traditions, techniques and spices, gives rise to some wonderful dishes", says the Daily Telegraph: soft, buttery pata negra neck with ras el hanout, confit garlic and a splash of date syrup; blistered naan-e-Barbari flatbread with Israeli "zhug" chilli sauce.
"Everything is made with care and from scratch", says Time Out. And the octopus, slow-braised with oranges and bay leaves on a coal-fired robata, will make you fall "joyously, head over heels, lightning-bolts-R-us in love".
The Barbary is at 15 Neal's Yard, Covent Garden WC2